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I don't understand how I can pay back a debt when I don't have an income

Debt amount:

$814

Date debt issued:

Thursday, 15 December 2016

Period debt occurred:

December 2014 to June 2015

Payment Type:

Newstart Allowance

Appealing Debt?:

Unknown

Tell us about your debt and how has this affected you? e.g. anxiety levels, financial and accommodation stress:

I choose to stop receiving payments a while ago as dealing with centrelink was exacerbating my mental illness. That place just breeds hopelessness and despair. While on centrelink, the staff made me feel like a lying criminal and like I wasn't a functioning member of society. Having to go back and deal with this has brought it all back on again. I have been extremely anxious and suicidal. I don't understand how I can pay back a debt when I don't have an income.

How do you feel about the way the Government has handled this process?:

It's bullshit. When I explained that due to mental illness I had no income at all, Centrelink asked who paid my rent (my partner) and advised that he should be pay back my debt which is from before we were even together! I don't think that's fair on him.

Not only that, the original letter was sent to the wrong address, the mygov website won't let me change my address or even view online letters and the staff won't send a new letter to my new address. I've never even seen the letter regarding the money I owe! I've had to get the staff to tell me over the phone, exactly how much I owe, plus the Bpay details of where I have to start paying it.